Stepping up diplomatic efforts this week, Cairo is pushing to ease regional tensions while urging the preservation of the momentum of negotiations to avert the repercussions of a renewed conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran.
Over the last two weeks, Egypt and Pakistan have been working “very hard” as mediators to reach “a final agreement between the US and Iran”, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said when attending the Antalya Diplomacy Forum that took place in Turkey from 17 to 19 April.
“We hope to do so [reach an agreement] in the coming days,” Abdelatty said, noting that “not only the region, but the whole world, is suffering from the continuation of this war.”
Egypt’s role, in collaboration with Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, focuses on narrowing differences in the political and military confrontation between Washington and Tehran and highlighting the consequences of miscalculations in the region.
Egypt, together with Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, has established a quadrilateral (the “Quad”) mechanism for coordination on preventing further escalation and addressing the repercussions of the US-Israeli war on Iran.
The Quad held its latest ministerial meeting on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.
During the meeting, the ministers present discussed the trajectory of the talks between Washington and Tehran and ways to prevent further escalation in the region, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Tamim Khallaf stated.
The Antalya meeting was the third ministerial gathering under the Quad mechanism. Earlier meetings were held in Riyadh and Islamabad in March.
The ministers also examined the economic outcomes of the war, including disruptions to shipping routes, energy and food markets, and swings in oil prices, in their meeting, and the forum as a whole was an opportunity for Abdelatty to hold bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers of states including Syria, the UK, Austria, Rwanda, Comoros, and Portugal on its sidelines.
During these meetings, he reiterated Egypt’s support for the path of negotiations between the US and Iran.
Egyptian diplomacy, said Rakha Hassan, a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, is known to be one of the most dynamic and is governed by clearly set out principles and is actively present in international venues.
It is animated by a vision acquired through its long history of engaging in active mediation that says that no matter how long a conflict lasts, it will end via negotiations, especially when the conflicting parties have strengths that will not allow a conflict to end in their favour.
“Iran’s strengths lie in its being a powerful Shia state and in its extensive regional reach. It has leverage through its position along the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy chokepoint, and through a network of political and military allies across the Arab world, including Hizbullah in Lebanon, influential Shia factions in Iraq, and the Houthis in Yemen,” Hassan told Al-Ahram Weekly.
In the light of these realities, Egypt has prioritised a political solution aimed at sparing the Gulf states the devastation of war and mitigating potential disruptions to their exports.
The region accounts for roughly 20 per cent of global oil supply, 40 per cent of fertiliser production, and 30 per cent of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Any disruption to these exports, Hassan added, would have far-reaching consequences, not only for the Gulf economies but also for global markets.
Reda Farahat, a political science professor, added that Egypt’s strategic approach to the issue reflects the firm methods of Egyptian foreign policy that are based on prioritising diplomatic solutions, supporting regional stability, and maintaining a security balance in a region suffering from speedy developments.
Egypt has continued to highlight the importance of a political solution to the US-Iran war.
During his meeting with US Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos on Monday, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi highlighted Egypt’s active engagement within the Quad mechanism that aims at ending the war and launching a political track to reach a sustainable peaceful settlement.
Abdelatty continued consultations and meetings with officials from various states this week to highlight the repercussions of the war on the region and the world and the importance of de-escalation.
Hassan noted that the economic impacts of the war are among the factors affecting Egypt’s stand. Navigation in the Suez Canal either from the Gulf to the Mediterranean or vice versa has been noticeably affected by the war, he pointed out.
He warned that ongoing conflicts risk disrupting shipping routes in the Suez Canal, affect global supply chains and energy markets.
“Tourism has also been slightly affected. More importantly, given that we import our needs of oil and gas, a reduction in imports has forced the state to adopt austerity policies,” he said.
On Monday, Abdelatty discussed with his Pakistani, Turkish, and Omani counterparts the latest developments in the US-Iran negotiations in separate phone calls.
He emphasised that negotiations are the main basis to reach an understanding between Tehran and Washington that can lead to a permanent ceasefire, the de-escalation of tensions, and an end to the war.
The ministers agreed to maintain regular consultations on the issue and any related developments in support of regional security and stability.
The first round of the Pakistani-brokered US-Iranian talks was held early last week and ended without an agreement or a ceasefire deal.
A second round of negotiations was scheduled for Tuesday before the end of the two-week ceasefire on “Wednesday evening Washington time”, according to US President Donald Trump.
Trump declared on Monday morning that a deal would be signed “tonight” and that Vice-President J D Vance had already headed to Pakistan.
At the end of the day, he said that it was “highly unlikely” he would extend the two-week ceasefire with Iran and that he would not rush into a “bad deal” with Iran. On Tuesday morning, Iran had yet to decide whether to attend the talks with the US.
“As of now, we have no plans for the next round of negotiations, and no decision has been made in this regard,” said Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei in a press briefing.
He cited the US attack on an Iranian cargo ship last week, the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, and delays in implementing a ceasefire as clear violations of the ceasefire and reasons for Tehran’s hesitance to attend a second round of talks.
The main sticking points during the first round of negotiations included the nuclear issue, the US asking Iran to freeze uranium enrichment, and its demand that it give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
The US has no right to do this, according to Hassan, as it is Tehran’s right according to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). “In addition, the sanctions imposed against Iran should be lifted because they are unilaterally imposed solely by the US,” he said.
Abdelatty concluded a visit to Washington last week during which he met his US counterpart Marco Rubio in addition to various top officials to discuss developments in the Middle East.
The visit aimed to boost diplomatic efforts to extend the two-week ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran and probably to deliver a discreet message that engaging in a further war with Iran could lead to unforeseen consequences.
Farahat noted that Egypt will continue to play an active diplomatic role in supporting regional security and stability.
“However, the coming phase requires coordinated regional and international efforts to amplify the voice of reason and peace in a way that serves the interests of the region’s peoples and spares them the horrors of conflict,” he said.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 23 April, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.
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